Knockdown coat hanger



Jan. 1', 1946.

N. T. BALDANZA ET AL KNOCKDOWN COAT HANGER Filed Dec. 30, 1944 PatentedJan. 1, 1946 KNOOKDOWN COAT HANGER Nicholas. '1. Baldanza, Rutherford,and: Anthony J. Des'imone. Lyndhurst, N.. J1. assignors to ColumbiaProtektosite 00.,

Inc Carlstadt,

N. Ja a corporation of New Jersey Application December 30, 19414,SerialNo. 570,550

4 Claims.

This invention relates to: coat: hangers;

Oneobject of the invention iszto; provide a coat hanger having improved:means for interconnectingthe coat hanger bar and its supporting: hook sothat the ultimate consumer can readil assemble the same.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a coat hanger havingimproved means for interconnecting the coat bar and hook in a detachablebut otherwise strong and rigid manner.

Coat hangers involve a shipping cost that is out of proportion to theusually inexpensive nature of the article. A knockdown coathanger wouldassure compact packaging, or storage to the: manufacturer, retailer anduser, and would permit the same to be readily carried in small valisesand the like. To properly achieve these purposes, the coat hanger mustbe" not. only strong, and durable, but inexpensive to make andpractically obvious in its mode of assembling.

It is therefore an object of the. invention to furnish a coat hangerwhich shall fulfill the above mentioned requirements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coat hanger of which thecoat bar, or hook, or both areadapted to be made by simple and rapidmolding, preferably free of undercuts which require an expensive die andslow up the molding operation.

Another object or the invention is. the provision of a coat hangerhaving improved connecting means between the coat bar and. hook virtuallwholly concealed in the coat bar, and preferably in improved relation tothe hollow or channel structure of the coat bar.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds.v

With the aforesaid objects in view, the. invention comprises the novelfeatures, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter describedin their preferred embodiments, pointed out. in the subjoined claims,and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts aredesignated by the same reference characters throughout the severalviews.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a View in side elevation showing a coat hanger embodying;the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevationthereof.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the coat hangershowing details of the connecting means.

hereinafter apparent.

Fig; dis a similar view but showing the con-- necting means: in:detached: position.

Fig. 6 is. an edge view. thereof.

The advantages. ofthe invention ashere outlined are best realized whenall. of its features and instrumentalities are. combined, but, usefulembodiments may be produced involving. less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled inthe. art to which the invention.appertaina. thatthe. same may be incorporated in several different.con.- structions. The accompanying drawing, there.- fore, is. submittedmerely as showinga preferred exemplification. of the invention.

Referring in. detail to the. drawing; Ill denotes a coat hangerembodying. the. invention. The same may include acoat hanger bar II: ofany suitable. size or shape, and a. supporting member I2. thereforwhichmay have the, conventional hook portion I3. Improved means I4 intercomnect the coat bar. H and the member I2 at. a central pointof the: coatbar, with thecenter of the hook. I3: being invertical alinement; withthe center point. As shown the, coat bar, hook member and connectingmeans lie in acommon plane, the coat bar being adapted to be suspendedin horizontal position.

The. coat bar II is preferably molded of plastic material sov as: to.be. channel-shaped in cross section, and thus. it has a web or back wallI5 and side walls or flanges I6. At its ends, the channel is closed byangularwall portions IT. At spaced points, the channel is interrupted bythin, transverse reenforcing ribs I8 and [9. The ribs I8 are parallelto. the. end walls. I! to facllir' tate removal of the. bar II fromthe'mold. The ribs I9 are. thickerand lie atopp i e sides or the centerof the bar II, Between these ribs I9, is. defined a space or socketchamber S which registers with the opening; 20 in. the back I5 of barII. The lower ends of the ribs I9 terminate at 2| within the channel, inspaced relation to the free edges of the flangesv I6, for a purpose Theribs. I9 converge downwardly toward-eachother, and thus afiord, inconjunction with the adjacent portions of the flanges I6, a socket s ofgenerally rectangular cross section, of uniform width. but diminishinglength, since the socket tapers downwardly at the ribs I9. This socketis fully open at its upper and lower ends, for a reason hereinafterapparent, and isreadily molded bya die projection. at the upper side ofthe. coat bar. Disengagement from the die is facilitated by theangularity-of the ribs or walls I9.

The member l2 may be molded or stamped out of sheet material of plasticor the like, It may be of uniform thickness throughout, equal to thespace between the flanges it of the coat bar ll. Downwardly projectingat its lower end are fingers or tongues 22 spaced to lie at oppositesides ofthe center of the coat bar. At their free ends, the tongues areformed with lateral projections or elements 23 which extend away fromeach other. The upper edges 24 of these elements are at a slight acuteangle and the bottom edges at 2| of the walls l9 form like angles. Sincethe tongues 22 consist of resilient material, they are adapted to bedeflected toward each other. The arrangement of the elements 23 is suchthat they produce such a deflection by engaging the walls IS in courseof inserting the tongues 22 into the socket S. Insertion of the tonguesis limited by the stop portions 25. When the tongues have been fullyinserted, the elements 23 are free to move outward under the walls IS,with the acute angle faces 24 thereof engaging those at 2| so thattension on the memberl2 does not tend to cause releasing movement of theelements 23. As the tongues 22 spring apart they come into completecontact with the walls [9, being suitably shaped for that purpose. Ampleresilience for the tongues is obtained by sufliciently elongating theout out therebetween as at 26. The seating face of the elements at 24 isconcealed within the channel, and the elements may project from thechannel and are preferably of suflicient size to constitute fingerpieces whereby the tongues can be pressed together for detachment of thehook member l2.

In use, the coat bar H and hook member l2 may be packaged in separatedcondition. This much less space is occupied in shipping and in carryingin a small suitcase and the like. Attractive color combinations arepossible as between the handle and coat bar.

In assembling, the operator grasps the hook member and inserts thetongues 22 into the socket S; First the rounded elements 23 engage thesuitably curved or beveled edge of the socket, and as they ride in, thetongues are sprung together, and then released to spring apart andmaintain the elements 23 in looking position as shown. A pull on thehook member tends to cause the elements 23 to lock in more tightly dueto the angular seating at 24. No vertical twisting of the hook member ispossible and by utilizing a portion of the coat bar channel as a socket,the tongues '22 may be of ample width and strength. If the leverage onthe ends of the coat bar is uneven, the projections 25 serve as stops,so that the angular force shall not act laterally upon the tongues, butrather produce mainly a tension at the elements 23. One of the tonguesmay have more resilience than the other, as where the opening 26approaches more closely to the right edge of the hook member than to itsconnecting structure being concealed in the coat bar. There is noopportunity for the clothing to catch on any parts, because even theseatin portions at 24 lie within the channel. T e o nection is rigid andonly infinitesimal play need occur by reason of the acute angle seatingat 24.

It will now be seen that the invention may be regarded as including acoat bar means having portions on opposite sides of its center forreceiving spaced tongues on a hook member, the tongues having lateralelements at their free ends to prevent separation of the hook. member,these elements being releasably locked by relative angular movementbetween the side portions and the tongues.

We claim:

1. A coat hanger including a generally horizontal coat hanger bar, anupright hook central to the bar for suspending the latter, the bar beingof generally rectangular form in cross section and having an openingtherein elongated along the length of the bar, and resilientlyinterengaged means interconnecting the bar and the hook, comprising aplate-like portion of 'the hook fitted in said opening and havinglaterally extending spaced elements in the vertical 'plane of the bar,the latter having spaced elements engaging the first mentioned elementsat opposite sides of the center line of the bar, said means having atongue section consisting of resilient material and carrying certain ofthe elements whereby the different elements are interengaged, the tonguesection cooperating with said elements for positive interengagement ofthe latter so as to prevent accidental release under the tension towhich the said means is subjected.

2. A knockdown coat hanger having a generally horizontal coat hangerbar, an upright hook central thereto for suspending the bar, the latterhaving extending therethrough a central upright opening elongated in theplane of the bar and the hook having a section fitted in said openinsaid bar having a pair of spaced portions and the said section having apair of spaced portions having hook-like, positive engagement with thefirst mentioned portions at points on opposite sides of the center ofthe bar and in the plane thereof, certain of said portions beingresilient for a snap-in engagement of the difierent portions, theresilient portions having elements projecting downward to form fingerpieces whereby the resilient portions can be'forcibly deflected forremoval of the hook from the bar.

3. A knockdown coat hanger, including a horizontal coat hanger bar, agenerally upright central hook for suspending the same, the bar havin anupright opening therethrough elongated in the vertical plane of the barand being thus long and narrow, the end surfaces of the openingconverging downwardly toward each other, the hook having a plate-likeshank slotted to form a pair of spaced downwardly projecting tongues ofresilient material adapted to be deflected toward each other, thetongues being fitted in the opening and being in contact with theconvergent faces, the tongues having at their lower ends lateralelements extending in opposite directions in the said plane of the barand engaging the lower face thereof, the tongues being so related to theopening that the said elements are adapted to be freely received in theupper part of the opening and cause the tongues to be deflected towardeach other in course of engaging the hook with the bar, the elementsfinally moving into operative position below the bar with the tonguesmoving resiliently apart from each other to thus interconnect the hookand bar.

4. A knockdown coat hanger including a gen opening under which theelements engage to prevent removal of the tongues except upon deflectionof the latter toward each other, the elements cooperating with the saidsurface portions for contact with each other along surfaces that areinclined so as to diverge upwardly to assist in maintaining the tonguesspaced apart in operative engagement with the bar.

NICHOLAS T. BALDANZA. ANTHONY J. DESIMONE.

